Just One More Moment
by Lady Lanera
Summary: Roughly, this fic became my take on the ending of SPN after getting the prompt about Jody and Bobby worrying about the boys while waiting to hear from them. Contain some Season 15 spoilers but definite speculation concerning the rest.


**Disclaimer: **_Supernatural _is not mine obviously. I just play in its playground every now and then. The prompt for this fic was "Jody and Bobby waiting to hear from the boys and are worried." Thanks, DA. It ended up more Jody's side than anything. :) As always, enjoy.

**Just One More Moment**

Glancing down at the phone in her hands, Sheriff Jody Mills felt her frown deepen. She didn't like this. Not one bit. But what was she supposed to do exactly? Pray to God? Fat chance of that happening considering their current world-ending situation was because God was the ultimate bad-guy this time. And, yet, who else was there exactly?

It had been days since she had heard from the boys. Normally, she wouldn't think anything of their silence, but it was the hugs—those damn hugs and the looks on their faces. It had socked her hard in the gut. They had acted as if it would be the last time she'd ever see them. That they weren't coming back from this one. Which was crazy seeing as how they were the freakin' Winchesters.

"Jodes?"

Her shoulders slumped. Slowly, her eyes flicked upwards and caught Donna's worried look. She shook her head, though, and waved it off. The boys would be fine. They always were. A little broken, sure, but they were fine. Alive. She just had to keep sending them all the prayers and well-wishes she could until they returned to her.

* * *

Two weeks of radio silence had passed. Two agonizing weeks. She had called every number she could think of that was associated with the boys, but every call went unanswered and straight to voicemail until they were all filled with hundreds of messages. Claire even had tried. Nothing but silence, though. They pulled the ultimate Hail Mary the day before and prayed to Castiel, hoping it would reach the angel and get passed along. More deafening silence followed, though.

So, the wayward sisters of Sioux Falls quickly mobilized and headed down to Lebanon, KS. Maybe the boys had lost their phones? Maybe Cas had become human again? Maybe it wasn't what they were thinking at all. Maybe it was all fine still and they were all overreacting.

Jody and Donna entered the bunker first with Patience, Alex, and Claire bringing up the rear. The sheriffs' trained eyes darted around the bunker, looking for any signs of life, any clues. They walked as one down the spiral staircase, their hands hovering over their weapons just in case.

One by one, they searched the bunker.

They only found emptiness, though. The boys clearly hadn't been back here in weeks. Every room had a thin layer of dust now from what they could see. Cobwebs decorated various entryways too. The whole place seemed cold, distant, abandoned now.

Jody felt Donna's eyes return to her again for what had to be the hundredth time. She was sure the blond knew exactly what she was feeling right then, but she couldn't bear that look any longer. So, she turned away and headed down the long hallway silently.

She was walking aimlessly through the bunker. At first she thought about heading for the kitchen, but it wouldn't be right. Nothing would be. Not until she knew if the boys were okay. That was all she wanted. To know if they were okay, alive. She didn't think that was too much to ask really.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she felt her legs start to wobble as her mind spiraled with various different images. Each one was more gruesome than the last. Her hand slapped against the thing nearest to her, a door she realized in hindsight. She slipped inside, gasping and trembling when she caught the discarded Henley on the floor and the various pictures scattered about the room.

They weren't her boys. She knew that. But, damn it, it hurt like they were!

Where were they?

Were they okay?

Were they alive?

She ran a hand over her face and drew in another trembling breath. It was as if her heart had been ripped out once more, torn asunder, and left only with the heartbreaking loss again—the loss she hadn't felt since she lost Kaia . . . and her husband and son.

_Please . . . please let them be okay!_

She didn't care who heard that prayer. God, angel, or other—she just needed someone to hear it and let her know. It was the not knowing that was killing her slowly. She could understand now so well what mothers went through when their children were missing.

"Jody?" murmured a low, gruff voice behind her.

She whirled around. Call it grief. Call it heartbreak. Call it whatever one wanted, but she threw her arms around the man standing behind her, burying her face into his neck. She felt the normally surly bastard stiffen before he eventually relaxed and held her without a complaint. She cried against him silently, hating herself all for it. The boys needed her strong. Not like this, blubbering about and carrying on as she was.

It took several moments before she finally regained control again, pulling back. She brushed back more of her tears and forced the air into her lungs, clearing her throat as she did. He wasn't Bobby. Not the real one at least. Not the one she knew and had loved that was.

"Take it you still haven't heard from 'em?" he asked, jerking his head towards the room.

"No."

He nodded slowly and shrugged. "Yeah, me neither." Scratching his scraggly beard awkwardly, his eyes fell back to the floor. "Not since a few weeks ago when they showed up out of the blue and told me to take care of myself. Didn't like that course."

"They came to see you?" she asked, her stomach rolling at the new information.

"Yeah." He sighed heavily. "Think them boys look at me and still see their Bobby sometimes. Ain't exactly ideal course since I ain't him, but can't necessarily push them away, can I?" He gave her a faint smile and shrugged again. "And they're good boys. So, I can see why he'd—I'd—whatever would care for them."

"They are," she agreed, feeling her pit grow larger.

"They got a sort of—I don't know—thing about them. Where you sort of have to care. Though, finding out John was, shit, a bigger dick here than in my world—well, always knew he was a dumbass."

Jody smiled easily. "Bobby told me that same thing once."

"Yeah?" The baseball-capped man chuckled quietly. "Maybe I ain't so different than this world's version after all. Who'd have thought it?"

"He always called them his boys. I didn't get it until . . ."

"Until they became _your boys_?" offered Bobby with a knowing look.

She nodded, not trusting herself not to break down again. They were her boys, though. All three of them. She loved each one of them and considered them all sons. That was why this hurt so much. Her boys were gone. To where? She hadn't a clue.

"Hey," murmured Bobby quietly, gently pushing up her chin, so she'd meet his gaze again. "They'll be all right."

Oh, how she hoped that were true. She needed it to be.

"They got that angel of theirs with them," he continued with a coy smile. "And something tells me he's a tough son of a bitch who would stop at nothing in order to protect those boys. So, between you and me, my bet's on the angel. Always."

Jody's mouth opened to argue, to explain what Dean had told her about Cas's failing powers, but the words remained caught in her throat. She had seen Cas go to extreme measures for the boys before. And Bobby was right. Cas loved the Winchesters just as much as she did. As Bobby himself had. He'd protect them with his dying breath.

Her heart clenched at that thought. He'd sacrifice himself time and time again for Sam and Dean every single time. She felt the sobs work their way back up into her throat, catching and holding back just an inch. It couldn't end this way. It couldn't. No! Damn it! No this wasn't right! After everything the boys had suffered, they deserved happiness, freedom, a life for fuck's sake! This couldn't be the way their story ended! It couldn't!

She turned away, her eyes passing over the room one last time.

Just one more time.

That was all she wanted.

Just one more moment with them.

To make it right.

To give them the love they deserved.

Just one more.

_Please . . . please just one more._

One more minute of Dean's amused chuckles.

One more minute of Sam's excited chatter.

One more minute of Castiel's soft smiles.

Just one.

_Please._

She'd make a demon deal if it meant their return. Sell her soul to the highest bidder. They wouldn't want that of course, but screw what they wanted.

She knew better than them anyway. Knew they needed a better story than the tragic hurt-and-comfort crap thrown their way by Chuck all their life.

The despair clawed its way further up her throat then. She needed to leave. To go off somewhere and . . . it couldn't end like this. It just couldn't.

It wasn't fair!

Turning back, she caught Bobby's somber look directed at her. He clearly seemed to be searching for words to say, but there were none that would make this better. Wordlessly, she brushed past him and headed back down the hallway. They'd just keep at it. Searching for the boys and hoping for the best. What else could they do?

She inhaled sharply as she passed the room that had been Jack's the last time he had been there.

They had lost so many over the years.

So many needless deaths.

So much pain.

So much loss.

It had to end sometime. Didn't it?

She swallowed down her emotions as she stepped back into the War Room. Claire caught her look and instantly glanced down.

How would she even begin—

Claire was still dealing with Kaia's death, and that had been two years ago. This would likely break the young woman even more. Hadn't she suffered enough too? Hadn't they all?

"Jody?" Claire softly began, her eyes reluctantly meeting hers.

She opened her mouth to declare they'd find them. Even if it took years, they'd find them. However, instead of words, she wrapped her arms around the younger woman, embracing her wayward daughter lovingly. She closed her eyes as she pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Claire's head. It wasn't enough. It never would be if her fears were correct, but it was a start.

The heavy steel door to the bunker then groaned open above them.

Jody instantly pulled back from Claire. Her hand went to her gun, noticing out of the corner of her eyes Donna mirroring her with Claire drawing her angel sword as well. They heard the echoing of footsteps as they approached and waited with bated breath.

She considered the possibilities of whom it could be. Garth was a likelihood, she supposed. He had grown very close to the boys. And when she had talked to him last, he had sounded just as worried as she had. So maybe he had come here looking for answers as well. Or maybe some other hunter? Other Charlie maybe?

Donna tipped her head towards her before she glanced back up at the landing. Their eyes narrowed as the sounds from above echoed closer. They drew in steadying breaths, keeping their emotions in check. Whatever was thrown their way, they could handle it. Zombie. Ghost. God himself even. They had this.

Or not.

Their weapons instantly lowered. Blinking numbly, they stared up at the sight of the battle-worn men who had stepped out onto the landing.

"Dean?" Jody's voice was barely above a whisper, but it was obvious the man had heard her with his responding tired smile.

They were alive?

All three of them?

She glanced from Dean to Sam to Cas. All three were leaning heavily against one another as if to draw strength from each other. They looked exhausted, practically zombies, but they were alive. Dirtied, bloodied, utterly haunted by whatever they had gone through, but, thankfully, very much alive.

"What? No one's going to help us?" quipped Dean quietly before he grimaced, stopping briefly to fold in on himself. Sam and Cas instantly wrapped their arms tighter around him and bowed their heads as they said something low to the eldest Winchester. He waved them off a moment later and uncurled himself with an audible groan. "Figures."

"Well, you did make it this far," Jody forced herself to say, her smile barely reaching her lips as she desperately held back her relief. Experience had taught them all not to trust these sorts of moments. It could easily be a trick, an illusion. She caught Donna's eyes and noticed Claire and Bobby both step up on either side of the sheriffs. They were all on the same page.

The moment the boys had reached the bottom of the stairs, Bobby splashed holy water into their faces. No smoke billowed, though, only harsh, violent—and in one case—wet coughs followed from the men. That and loud groans of pain as they all reared back slightly.

Claire then stepped forward as the three continued to cough off the holy water while momentarily distracted. She briefly pressed her long blade of Tamiel's sword against their skin. None reacted to the silver. Nor did they even seem to notice it.

Donna then tossed salt at them. Once more, nothing happened. No spirit came shrieking out of them. Nothing but three badly injured men coughing.

"Really?" Dean muttered, shaking his head with another low groan as he folded in on himself briefly, his hand pressed firm against his side. "What's next, guys, witch-killing bullets?"

"It's tempting," Jody replied dryly. She brushed off the men's outraged looks. "After all, you could be some new monster. A new breed of witch that makes Rowena look like a toddler."

"Jody—" Dean stepped towards her.

"Hold it."

He instantly stopped.

"We're not witches," he declared firmly, his emerald eyes flashing in mild annoyance.

"Yeah? Then how the fuck are you standing there, Winchester?"

Dean winced inwardly before he glanced at Sam. "Okay, well, Sammy might be a little witchyish now, but Cas and I sure as hell aren't."

"I'm not—damn it, Dean," Sam huffed, rolling his hazel eyes. He then sighed quietly. "We may have used a little bit of Cas's Grace."

The Seraph let out an audible indignant sound, clearly disagreeing.

"Fine. We may have used most—" Sam tried again.

"All—" Dean and Cas both argued.

"—of his Grace."

Jody and Donna glanced at one another before they both leaned back with crossed arms.

"Try that again," remarked Bobby with a raised brow.

"I entwined my Grace with their souls," Castiel answered matter-of-factly.

"Fancy way of saying," Dean drawled with a wide smirk, "he used his dear ol' dad's writing us as true vessels against him. With his Grace tapped into our souls, he could get a power-up and we could be healed." He then stumbled, giving the angel a soft grateful look when Cas kept him upright. "Sorta. I mean, Death helped too and... Jack. To keep the balance of course. Rowena's running Hell, and Jack's doing the same in Heaven."

The angel glanced down somberly at the mentioning of the Nephilim but spoke quietly. "It unfortunately has resulted in my . . ."

"Cas is human," Dean cut in with his grin widening, elbowing the angel when he caught Cas's disapproving frown. "Stuck down here with the rest of us now."

"I fail to see how my having to require sleep and food and the rest of it is a good thing, Dean."

Green eyes met blue.

"Well, the way I see it, you're not in the Empty. Big plus there. You ain't even up there with the other dicks who wouldn't stand with you against Chuck. Instead, you're here with us." He moved his arm to squeeze the blue-eyed, messy-haired man's shoulder. "You're home with your family—where you belong, Cas."

"Until I die at least."

Dean rolled his eyes. "We're going to work on your optimism first thing tomorrow."

Jody glanced between the trio, unsure of what to say. Luckily, she didn't need to say anything as she watched dazedly as soapy water was tossed onto the men a second later. Her head whipped around.

"Borax?" Donna asked calmly beside her.

"Just to be sure they're not Leviathan, yeah," Alex replied, wincing as she glanced nervously at Jody. It was as if she was worried what the Sioux Falls sheriff would say about it.

"Nice," Donna quipped with a proud smile, matching Jody's gentle one.

"Anything else you want to throw at us?" Dean grumbled.

"Nope. That's all of 'em," Bobby gruffly answered with a shrug.

Jody's eyes softened on them. Her boys were home safe. She sighed silently before she stepped forward towards them. She caught Sam's apologetic look and Dean's weary one. Cas looked more curious than anything. With a shake of her head, she hit each one of the three in the arm lightly before she embraced them, holding her boys firmly and lovingly.

_Thank you._


End file.
